News and Announcements from the Supreme Court of Ohio and Other Governmental Entities Within the Buckeye State.

Friday, February 25, 2005

Ohio Budget Bill Attempting to Gut Funding of State's County Law Libraries

The recently introduced Ohio Budget Bill (HB 66), contains sections that would effectively put just about every county law library out of business by 2010, and probably sooner. Here is the Legislative Service Commission analysis of the sections. What the bill will do if passed is pass on from an individual county to the board of trustees of a county law library the responsibility to pay the salaries of the librarian, two assistants, and the library spaces. The reversal of responsibilities will start in 2006 (80% county / 20% board) and evolve until 2010 when the board must pick up the entire tab. Frankly, this is unacceptable as a lot of the county law libraries are existing by the skins of their teeth right now without a further erosion of funding. The County Commissioners Association of Ohio is providing the force behind this money grab. Their reasoning for it? Here is some info from their "Legislative Program" for 2005-06:

In light of technological advances in the reporting of judicial decisions and access to legal research and writing through media other than by print publication, county responsibility for funding and providing space to support law libraries should be reevaluated.